HP: Pass exam to move from state to IAS cadre

In a move that is bound to create furore among the bureaucrats of the state cadre, the central government has proposed special examination for inducting state cadre officers into the Indian Administrative Services cadre.

The central government wants the proposal implemented before the Lok Sabha polls. The central government's department of personnel has already conveyed its decision to the government of Himachal Pradesh, even though the state government was yet to receive an official communiqué in this regard.

Recently, director of Himachal Pradesh Institute of Public Administration (HIPA) Poornima Chauhan was called to the national capital to discuss the syllabi being proposed by Union Public Service Commission.

Himachal Administrative Services officers having 8 years in service or attaining 54 years of age will be eligible to appear in the examination. Currently, there are 178 state cadre officers, of which 110 are eligible to appear in special examination being proposed by the Centre.

According to the proposal, in the 30-mark examination, written test will be of 30 marks, while interview will carry 15 marks. In the new system being drawn by the UPSC, the officers appearing for IAS examination will have to update their knowledge on the current affairs. Special examination will have a different section on the current affairs. The paper on current affairs will have 30 marks. The annual confidential reports of the officers appearing in the examination will carry 25 marks.

The proposal has already begun to raise hackles of HAS officers. “We have heard about such system being introduced. We are totally opposed to it as it will jeopardise the seniority of the HAS officers. It will deprive the senior officers of the incentives. It will be equally humiliating for the senior officers to appear in examination,” says MP Sood, a senior HAS officer.

Earlier, the HAS officers used to get promoted to the IAS cadre on the basis of their tenure of service and annual confidential reports.

Interestingly, the Centre did not seek any opinion from the state government before coming out with the proposal.

The proposal will be implemented in all the states gradually and small states like Himachal may see it happening earlier.